January 31 Evening Edition

CBS2
— Illinois Policy Institute Pitches State Budget Plan With No Tax Hike – Craig Dellimorehttp://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/01/31/conservative-policy-group-pitches-state-budget-plan-with-no-tax-hike/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: A conservative lobbying group has outlined a plan for ending the state’s budget standoff without a major income tax increase. The Illinois Policy Institute’s budget plan would move all new employees and as many current workers as it can persuade into a 401(k)-style retirement plan, instead of defined pensions. The proposal also would make most able-bodied people without children ineligible for Medicaid, impose the state’s most recent contract offer to unionized state workers, reduce state payroll by 10 percent, and freeze property taxes for five years. Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman said it also would end state revenue sharing with larger local governments, which he claimed spend more money than they should. “We want to end that charade. We want to create local accountability. If a local school district wants to engage in pension spiking at the end of a teacher’s career, they can do that. If they want to give administrators excessive compensation packages, they can do that. But they won’t be able to send the bill to other taxpayers anymore,” he said. Tillman said state mandates on local government would be reduced, but he acknowledged there would be skepticism and resistance to much of the IPI budget plan. “Every single political actor at the local level will want to hold on to every penny they can, and it won’t be until the public demands these reforms that we really see the political will,” he said. State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) said she thinks the public will press for approval of the IPI budget plan. “That four-person family where the dad’s working his tail off, and maybe has a second job, and they know that they’re funding the Medicare for an able-bodied single adult who doesn’t want to get a job; I’ll tell you what, they’re all in on this plan, sir. All in,” she said.)— Starbucks CEO’s Stance On Trump Travel Ban Stirs Up Bitter Brew – Jim Williams (DIERSEN: How soon, if not already, will Starbucks post signs that say members of the following groups are NOT WANTED: Trump supporters, Protestants, conservatives, Republicans, Americans, Whites, males, older people, rich people, gun owners, German Americans, draft avoiders, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time?)http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/01/30/starbucks-ceos-stance-on-travel-ban-stirs-up-bitter-brew/

DAILY HERALD
— Constituents crowd Hultgren office to discuss president – James Fuller (DIERSEN: Anti-Trumps are nasty.)http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170131/news/170139747/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: “People are very concerned about President Trump,” Scown told a nodding Goncher. “He has no understanding of his limited powers under the Constitution. He shows no discipline. We feel it’s our Congress’ duty to address an out of control president. We want to know that Mr. Hultgren will protect the Constitution and protect our rights.” Specifically, Scown pointed Trump’s recent ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority nations as unconstitutional. Miller, an armed services veteran, said preventing Muslims who are non-U.S. citizens who helped U.S. military efforts in the Middle East is “a disgrace.” Hultgren released a statement Monday calling the ban “overly broad” with an “inconsistent and confused” interpretation. Hultgren said he supports efforts to review immigration screening processes to strengthen them. However, he said the process to vet refugees is “already extensive and thorough.” Miller said Hultgren’s statement was “weak” and didn’t go far enough. “He didn’t stand up and say it’s immoral, illegal, and we should ban it,” Miller said. The constituents also called on Hultgren to make his position known on various presidential cabinet appointments, especially those involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the education department. “Will the congressman stand up and protect the environment?” Miller asked. “Will he stand up for public schools?” Goncher said Hultgren does plan on hosting a town hall shortly. The staff has not set the time and place for such a public meeting, she said. Goncher pledged to call every one of the constituents who came to the office Tuesday and make separate appointments to listen to their concerns if need be. “We will always be available,” she said. “What we’re asking if that they make an appointment. If they give us a heads up on the topic, we can have a little bit more information to share with them.”)— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Anti-Trumps say “How Trump’s voter fraud claim spread like a virus.”http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170131/news/170139814/— Librarians can combat ‘fake news,’ panel says – Elena Ferrarinhttp://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170131/news/170139754/— Suburban officials roll out welcome mat for Caterpillar – Anna Marie Kukechttp://www.dailyherald.com/article/20170131/business/170139761/

WTTW
— How Healthy is Illinois’ Job Market? – Evan Garcia (DIERSEN: Employers in northeast Illinois are overwhelmingly Democrat. Therefore, the healthier that Illinois’ job market gets, the fewer members of the following groups will be hired or promoted: Trump supporters, Protestants, conservatives, Republicans, Americans, Whites, males, older people, rich people, gun owners, German Americans, draft avoiders, and those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2017/01/31/how-healthy-illinois-job-market

REPUBLICAN NEWS WATCH
— President Trump v. Useful Idiots, et al. – DOUG IBENDAHLhttp://republicannewswatch.com/wp/?p=14253
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The protests against our new Commander-in-Chief aren’t going to stop. In fact, expect the hate and anger to get hotter, and the size of the protests to get larger, as President Trump keeps winning for America. And the winning has only begun. So don’t let the protests dampen your post-election joy. Just sit back and savor the spectacle. The Extreme Left – which is the only wing left in the Democratic Party — is nothing if not entertaining. The Democrats have proven they don’t care an iota about expanding economic opportunity for the millions abandoned by their failed ideology and political idols. And they have also made it painfully obvious that keeping Americans safe is the least of their concerns. I seriously question whether there’s a single protester out there who truly believes Trump will harm the interests of women, the LGBT community, African-Americans, Hispanics, or anyone else. It’s actually quite the opposite. What’s keeping the Democrats up at night is a recurring nightmare in which Donald Trump continues to make good on his promises to lift-up all and unite the country. The typical Trump hater out there marching and/or inciting violence isn’t concerned about others. It’s purely a selfish concern centered on their fear of becoming even more irrelevant – if that’s even possible. Donald Trump and his supporters can take heart in the fact that another great President faced similar opposition from a hysterical Left, and it only made him stronger.)

REUTERS
— Trump’s go-to man Bannon takes hardline view on immigration – John Walcott and Julia Edwards Ainsley (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, under the Democrats and under the RINOs, the longer that your ancestors have been in America, the more that Democrats and RINOs blame you for all the problems that minorities and women have had, are having, and will have.)http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN15E2TG

MACOMB RADIO
— Governor Rauner Promises State Workers Will be Payed – Sean Patrick (DIERSEN: During the 1980s and 1990s, as GAO’s budget was cut more and more and more in relative if not absolute terms, the head of GAO, Charles Bowsher, promised more and more and more that employees who were minority, female, younger, and/or veteran would not be adversely affected, this is, that only employees who were White, male, older, and/or non-veteran would be adversely affected.)http://macombradio.com/macomb-news/289816

GAO
— IRS Improved Telephone Service but Needs to Better Assist Identity Theft Victims and Prevent Release of Fraudulent Refunds (DIERSEN: As a GS-11, currently $66,379, IRS Revenue Officer in early 1974, I was responsible for all of the IRS employees in Chicago who answered telephone calls from taxpayers and their representatives. As a result of my performance on that assignment, IRS promoted me to GS-12, currently $79,563, in mid-1974.)http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-186

Author: David Diersen

The opinions that I express in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are based on experience that I have gained doing many things since 1948. I base my opinions on what I learned a) working for the federal government for almost 30 years -- Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, serving on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, and being a union member while I worked for the Post Office and IRS; b) earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, a masters degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, and a masters degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997; c) passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981; c) serving as a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999, the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois Chairman 2005-2012, a member of the 2008 Illinois Republican Party (IRP) Platform and Resolutions Committee, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, and an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004; d) attending the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 IRP State Conventions as a delegate; e) being the subject of a nasty 4-page article in the February 1978 issue of Money Magazine; f) pursing litigation including Diersen v. GAO and Diersen v. Chicago Car Exchange; g) being married since 1978; h) living in Crete 1948-1972, in University Park 1972-1976, in Chicago 1976-1978, and in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978; and i) being baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran.
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